"The Hotel" -- Ch. 7

I pull the bike to a stop outside of my favorite club. Pulling up onto the sidewalk and parking by the door of the Dancing Spiral as always. I help the young woman from the bike and something about her eyes, those pale blue eyes, draws me in. Such an unnatural blue, that at first I think that they are contacts. Her curly brown hair falling in her face. The sunlight setting a magical moment, as it rose from the shadowy covor of night. I finally manage to break the gaze, looking a bit embarrassed. 1

"Well, " she says breaking the awkward silence that hangs in the night air. 2

"Ah, um, well..." I struggle for something to say, it's odd, this feeling that washes over me. Never can I remember being at a loss for words. Not having been taen in so much by a mortal's beauty that I could not speak, yet, here I was, totally embarrassed and longing for words that would not leave me a total jack@ss in her eyes. 3

"This has been interesting enough, I think I'll just be going now... Thanks again." she says and stretches up to kiss my cheek. I know that I blush, I can feel the heat rising to the surface of my flesh. 4

"Can I walk you home? That is to say....Will you be alright alone?" I stumble over the words. 5

She gives a quaint little smile and says to me, "I'm getting used to it, I'll be fine." then laughing she adds, "Besides, wouldn't want you to do anything unchivelrous, Galen." with that she turns to leave. I light a ciggarette and face the building, hoping to rid my cheeks of the tale tell red that lies on them now. At the utter of my name, my real name, I turn to ask how she knew, but she had disappeared into the night, like some ghost in a horror novel. She was gone. I shook it off, grabbed my sword, transformed it back to a guitar and entered the club. 6

The bartnder was behind the empty bar, cleaning glasses and mugs and putting them away until later tonight when the place would again be filled with a crowd of old Illusion's fans, paying their respects through praising the Tribute band. 7

"Morning, Galen." The barkeep said. 8

"Mornin' Lou." I call back. 9

Lou was the owner of this Oh-so-fine establishment, he was kind and caring. He was also young, barely 24, his Uncle, also named Lou had been unable to spawn children, and had taken a special liking to his nephew, irronically, named Lou after Lou Dimaggio, an not his Uncle Lou. When Uncle Lou had passed away at the ripe old age of 40 he had left the Dancing Spiral to his nephew. His Nephew, Lou, in turn decided to rent me a small loft apartment on the second floor, we lovingly refer to my home as "the hotel" because everyone ends up crashing at my place, EVERYONE. 10

"Get you anything?" Lou asks kindly, as he always had.11

"No," I said heading for a door behind the stage. "I think I'm just going to go upstairs and get some sleep. Busy night tonight." 12

"Who's the girl?" He looked up knowingly, a toothy grin stretched across his young face. "And more importantly, why is she not in here with you?" 13

I look back towards the door, and the realization that I dont know her name hits me like a ton of Gouda Cheese. "Don't know." I whisper, and continue to the door. I climb the stairs and find the keyhole in the dark hallway leading into my darkened home. I enter and am greeted by the stray cat that I had taken in a year or so ago. I named him Piper, because with in three days of his arrival he had killed every rat, mouse, and insect in the place. Then, he wouldn't leave, so I began to feed him from afar and now he even occasionally sleeps in my bed with me...14